UP 2022 Assembly Polls: Before it could have coalesced, Rajbhar’s Morcha falls apart

While Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had publicly acknowledged being a part of the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha, Rajbhar was also in talks with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle Shivpal Yadav, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar and AAP for forging an alliance of smaller parties.

In a sudden turn of events, last week, Rajbhar announced that SBSP will ally with Samajwadi Party even if it does not get a single seat to contest.

On Wednesday, Rajbhar is scheduled to host a mahapanchayat in Mau district where Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be in attendance.

However, AIMIM leaders said that party chief Asaduddin Owaisi has not been invited to Mau on Wednesday. “Asaddudin Owaisi sahab has a public meeting in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday. We did not receive any invitation for the event, and hence, our leader won’t attend,” said AIMIM’s UP unit chief Showkat Ali.

Asked if his party would continue to be a part of the Morcha headed by Rajbhar, Ali said: “Rajbhar sahab has gone with Akhilesh Yadav ji, we have not. If Rajbhar can get us seats in the alliance with SP, then we will go. This is because our fight is for a share in power.”

A senior AIMIM leader said that the party will leave the Morcha because it can’t ally with the Akhilesh Yadav-led party. “Our leader has been speaking against the Samajwadi Party (SP). Now, we can’t become a part of an alliance where the SP is there. So in most likelihood, we will leave the Morcha. Such arrangements can break anytime. The election is still months away, so nothing is certain,” a senior AIMIM leader said.

SBSP general secretary and Om Prakash Rajbhar’s son Arvind, however, said that the AIMIM was never a part of the BSM.

“The AIMIM was never a part of the Morcha. Talks were held with the party’s leader, and similarly, the same thing for Shivpalji and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar. Only talks were held with them, but nothing was finalised. Other leaders who have been part of the Morcha are still with us, and they have been taken into confidence before announcing the alliance with SP,” said Arvind.

In December after a meeting with SBSP chief Rajbhar, Owaisi had said that the AIMIM will join the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha. After the same meeting, Rajbhar had said, “Till yesterday, people used to say that OP Rajbhar is all alone, and what can he do? Now, Owaisiji has come, we will show our power.”

Referring to the Morcha, he had said, “We will contest the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections together.”

The SBSP had contested the 2017 state elections as a BJP ally and Rajbhar was appointed a minister in the BJP government. He quit the alliance before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections after his outfit failed to reach an understanding with the BJP on seat-sharing.

Similarly, Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar also said that he was never a part of the Morcha.

“I was never part of it, and the election is quite far. It is difficult to say what will happen in the coming months. The SBSP has been with BJP in the past, and may again join hands with them. No one knows about them. We want to ensure an alliance against BJP government in the state, and we welcome secular parties with the objective to defeat the BJP,” said Chandrashekhar.

The Bhim Army chief had attended a meeting with Rajbhar and Owaisi in September and the leaders had hinted at a tie-up. Similarly, Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal had also attended multiple meetings with Rajbhar and Owaisi and was in talks with them for a tie-up.

Shivpal, who heads the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (PSP), has hinted on several occasions that he is willing to come back to the Samajwadi Party, but has not received a positive response from the SP.

PSP spokesperson Deepak Mishra said that a coalition was never finalised under the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha banner by Shivpal. “Yes, meetings happened, but nothing was finalised. We want to bring all non-BJP parties together and will continue to try to do this. We were not told about a public meeting in Mau on Wednesday by SP or SBSP,” said Mishra..